Is Ballou High School a good school?

Ballou High School ranks in the bottom 5.9% of District Of Columbia high schools.

How many students attend Ballou High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 585 students attended Ballou High School.

What is the racial makeup of Ballou High School?

Students at Ballou High School are 97% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Ballou High School?

Ballou High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Garfield Elementary School Elementary : Hendley Elementary School Elementary : King Elementary School Elementary : Leckie Education Campus Elementary : Malcolm X Elementary School at Green Elementary : Patterson Elementary School Elementary : Simon Elementary School Elementary : Turner Elementary School Middle : Hart Middle School Middle : Johnson Middle School

Ballou High School

Summary:

Ballou High School is a public high school in Washington, D.C. that serves 657 students in grades 9-12. The school has an overwhelmingly African American student population, with over 97% of students identifying as African American, significantly higher than nearby schools like Eastern High School and Anacostia High School.

Despite serving a predominantly African American student body, Ballou High School consistently ranks in the bottom half of District of Columbia Public Schools in terms of academic performance. The school's proficiency rates on standardized tests like PARCC and DC CAPE are significantly lower than the district and state averages across subjects like English Language Arts and Mathematics. Ballou High School has also struggled with low graduation rates, ranging from 58% to 75.6% in recent years, well below the state average and lagging behind nearby schools.

While Ballou High School ranks relatively well for special education students, it struggles with low-performing subgroups like African American students, at-risk students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. These disparities in student subgroup performance suggest the need for targeted interventions and support to address the unique needs of specific populations. Comparing Ballou High School to nearby schools with similar demographics and district affiliations reveals that its academic challenges are not necessarily shared by all schools in the area, indicating that factors specific to Ballou's leadership, resources, or instructional practices may be contributing to its underperformance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3401 4th St. SE
Washington, DC 20032

(202) 645-3400

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
32^nd of 34 District Of Columbia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $31,864

Feeder schools for Ballou High School:

Elementary:	Garfield Elementary School
	Hendley Elementary School
	King Elementary School
	Leckie Education Campus
	More...
	Malcolm X Elementary School at Green
	Patterson Elementary School
	Simon Elementary School
	Turner Elementary School
Middle:	Hart Middle School
	Johnson Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.6

Number of students: 585

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.9%

Hispanic:

2.7%

American Indian:

0.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated District Of Columbia high schools

Compare Ballou High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ballou High School ranks worse than 94.1% of high schools in District Of Columbia. It also ranks 16^th among 17 ranked high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.51. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Ballou High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (96.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), American Indian (0.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ballou High School is 9.6, which is the 5^th best among 17 high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools. (See more...)

Compare Ballou High School employs 60.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ballou High School is $31,864, which is the 8^th highest among 17 high schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ballou High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ballou High School 32^nd of 34 District Of Columbia public high schools. (See Ballou High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

District of Columbia Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks District of Columbia Public Schools 27^th of 47 District Of Columbia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Ballou High School?

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Rank History for Ballou High School

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Rank History for all students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile
2010	30.07	19^th	30	36.7%
2011	18.24	25^th	31	19.4%
2012	20.60	23^rd	31	25.8%
2014	12.94	30^th	35	14.3%
2015	23.70	26^th	29	10.3%
2016	23.42	27^th	31	12.9%
2017	26.08	26^th	34	23.5%
2018	23.49	31^st	34	8.8%
2019	26.78	26^th	34	23.5%
2022	14.14	30^th	30	0.0%
2023	23.12	29^th	34	14.7%
2024	17.51	32^nd	34	5.9%

See the entire list of District Of Columbia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.83	15^th	26	42.3%
2019	64.60	6^th	25	76.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.99	29^th	30	3.3%
2024	18.99	28^th	28	0.0%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	22.88	30^th	32	6.3%
2019	21.06	30^th	31	3.2%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	27.12	27^th	33	18.2%
2019	30.53	24^th	31	22.6%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.45	31^st	33	6.1%
2019	32.60	23^rd	32	28.1%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Ballou High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	22.24	31^st	34	8.8%
2019	27.89	29^th	33	12.1%

See the entire list of Best District Of Columbia High Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Office of the State Superintendent of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Office of the State Superintendent of Education

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Enrollment information for Ballou High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	7	1902	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	1916
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1843	1843
1990	19	1564	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1587
1991	21	1339	13	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1377
1992	21	1321	9	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1358
1993	10	1461	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1482
1994	7	1459	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1470
1995	2	1063	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1070
1996	2	1063	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1070
1997	2	847	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	855
1998	1	996	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1003
1999	0	895	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	899
2000	5	1028	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1033
2001	3	910	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	916
2002	1	957	2	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	964
2003	1	957	2	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	964
2004	0	1084	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	1090
2005	0	957	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	959
2006	0	1108	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1109
2007	0	1278	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1279
2008	0	1518	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	1522
2009	0	1260	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	1263
2010	2	1157	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	1162
2011	2	1057	0	3	1	1	0	0	1064
2012	0	946	0	4	0	0	1	0	951
2013	2	783	0	6	0	0	0	0	791
2014	4	664	0	9	0	0	1	0	678
2015	5	733	0	16	0	0	1	0	755
2016	0	908	0	21	0	2	2	0	933
2017	2	909	0	19	0	0	0	0	930
2018	0	864	0	15	0	0	1	0	880
2019	1	640	0	9	0	0	0	0	650
2020	1	555	0	17	0	0	0	0	573
2021	0	645	0	18	1	0	0	0	664
2022	0	625	0	10	1	0	0	0	636
2023	0	640	0	16	1	0	0	0	657
2024	0	567	0	16	1	0	1	0	585

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ballou High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1916	115.0	16.6	10.5
1989	1843	125.0	14.7	10.9
1990	1587	129.0	12.3	10
1991	1377	103.0	13.3	16.7
1992	1358	86.0	15.7	21.9
1993	1482	84.0	17.6	26.9
1994	1470	101.0	14.6	26.7
1995	1070	67.0	16.0	86.4
1996	1070	67.0	16.0	86.4
1997	855	62.0	13.8	47.5
1998	1003	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	899	71.0	12.7	n/a
2000	1033	71.0	14.5	68.9
2001	916	67.0	13.7	86.6
2002	964	n/a	n/a	70.2
2003	964	n/a	n/a	70.2
2004	1090	68.0	16.0	82.3
2005	959	91.0	10.5	93
2006	1109	91.0	12.2	83.7
2007	1279	99.0	12.9	67.4
2008	1522	113.0	13.5	76.3
2009	1263	102.0	12.4	81
2010	1162	88.0	13.2	81.7
2011	1064	84.0	12.6	89.2
2012	951	69.0	13.7	63.3
2013	791	73.0	10.8	64.6
2014	678	64.5	10.5	99.6
2015	755	82.0	9.2	100
2016	933	74.0	12.6	100
2017	930	85.0	10.9	n/a
2018	880	70.0	12.5	n/a
2019	650	69.0	9.4	n/a
2020	573	49.5	11.5	n/a
2021	664	54.9	12.0	n/a
2022	636	53.4	11.8	n/a
2023	657	63.0	10.4	n/a
2024	585	60.3	9.6	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ballou High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1916	115.0	16.6	10.5
1989	1843	125.0	14.7	10.9
1990	1587	129.0	12.3	10
1991	1377	103.0	13.3	16.7
1992	1358	86.0	15.7	21.9
1993	1482	84.0	17.6	26.9
1994	1470	101.0	14.6	26.7
1995	1070	67.0	16.0	86.4
1996	1070	67.0	16.0	86.4
1997	855	62.0	13.8	47.5
1998	1003	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	899	71.0	12.7	n/a
2000	1033	71.0	14.5	68.9
2001	916	67.0	13.7	86.6
2002	964	n/a	n/a	70.2
2003	964	n/a	n/a	70.2
2004	1090	68.0	16.0	82.3
2005	959	91.0	10.5	93
2006	1109	91.0	12.2	83.7
2007	1279	99.0	12.9	67.4
2008	1522	113.0	13.5	76.3
2009	1263	102.0	12.4	81
2010	1162	88.0	13.2	81.7
2011	1064	84.0	12.6	89.2
2012	951	69.0	13.7	63.3
2013	791	73.0	10.8	64.6
2014	678	64.5	10.5	99.6
2015	755	82.0	9.2	100
2016	933	74.0	12.6	100
2017	930	85.0	10.9	n/a
2018	880	70.0	12.5	n/a
2019	650	69.0	9.4	n/a
2020	573	49.5	11.5	n/a
2021	664	54.9	12.0	n/a
2022	636	53.4	11.8	n/a
2023	657	63.0	10.4	n/a
2024	585	60.3	9.6	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ballou High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$3,604 (14.7%)	$20,915 (85.3%)	$24,518
2020	$3,975 (14.1%)	$24,122 (85.9%)	$28,097
2021	$4,531 (17.2%)	$21,765 (82.8%)	$26,296
2022	$6,193 (21.2%)	$22,958 (78.8%)	$29,151
2023	$4,098 (12.9%)	$27,766 (87.1%)	$31,864

Data source: District Of Columbia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ballou High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 26^th of 34 High schools	Ranks 29^th of 34 High schools	8.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Geometry (Ballou High School)	3.3	1.1	2.2%
10th Grade Geometry (District of Columbia Public Schools)	13.1	7.9	5.2%
10th Grade Geometry (District Of Columbia)	12.2	6.7	5.5%
End of Course English II (Ballou High School)	5.2	9.7	4.5%
End of Course English II (District of Columbia Public Schools)	38.6	36.9	1.7%
End of Course English II (District Of Columbia)	33.7	33.8	0.1%
End of Course Geometry (Ballou High School)	2.5	0.6	1.9%
End of Course Geometry (District of Columbia Public Schools)	20.1	14.2	5.9%
End of Course Geometry (District Of Columbia)	17.2	12.8	4.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	650	657	1.1%
African American	640	640
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	9	16	77.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1	0	100%
Two or More Races	0	0

Schools Near Ballou High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				DC Science Science (2024)	DC CAPE English II (2024)	DC CAPE Algebra I (2024)		DC CAPE Geometry (2024)			DC CAPE English I (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC Science Science End of Course	DC CAPE English II End of Course	DC CAPE Algebra I 9th Grade	DC CAPE Algebra I End of Course	DC CAPE Geometry 9th Grade	DC CAPE Geometry 10th Grade	DC CAPE Geometry End of Course	DC CAPE English I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ballou High School	Public	9-12	3401 4th St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3400	585	60	9.6		0 (0.0%)	567 (96.9%)	16 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17.5	32^nd of 34 public high schools	5.9%		23.1	29^th of 34 public high schools	14.7%	3		9.6						5.9	$31,864	$4,098	$27,766
Ballou STAY High School	Public	9-12	3401 4th St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 645-3390	294	27	11.0		0 (0.0%)	285 (96.9%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$26,202	$3,437	$22,765
KIPP DC PCS - Legacy College Preparatory PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	3999 8th Street SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-9170	495	49	10.1		0 (0.0%)	493 (99.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.4	29^th of 34 public high schools	14.7%		27.5	24^th of 34 public high schools	29.4%	5	1.1	10.8	2.0	2.0			3.3	11.6	$34,191	$3,327	$30,864
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2705 Martin Luther King Jr Av	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-1681	327	42	7.7		0 (0.0%)	323 (98.8%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.6	13^th of 34 public high schools	61.8%		35.3	12^th of 34 public high schools	64.7%	1		27.6	12.9	12.9		5.8	5.8	21.4	$32,599	$6,204	$26,394
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC)	Public	9-12	1351 Alabama Ave SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 898-4664	369	32	11.5		1 (0.3%)	343 (93.0%)	21 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	28.8	22^nd of 34 public high schools	35.3%		32.9	16^th of 34 public high schools	52.9%	6		24.3		3.0				14.8	$25,609	$3,511	$22,098
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Public, Charter	9-12	2427 Martin Luther King Jr Av	Washington	20020	District Of Columbia	Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 563-6862	338	35	9.6		0 (0.0%)	332 (98.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	29.1	20^th of 34 public high schools	41.2%		25.9	26^th of 34 public high schools	23.5%	6		16.0	5.5	5.4			1.4	18.1	$37,548	$5,082	$32,465
Anacostia High School	Public	9-12	1601 16th St. SE	Washington	20020	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-2155	244	32	7.7		1 (0.4%)	235 (96.3%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	16.5	34^th of 34 public high schools	0.0%		18.4	32^nd of 34 public high schools	5.9%	2		7.0						6.5	$46,305	$5,303	$41,002
Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Public, Charter	8-12	475 School Street SW	Washington	20024	District Of Columbia	Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 388-1011	309	24	12.8		0 (0.0%)	303 (98.1%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.9	12^th of 34 public high schools	64.7%		32.9	15^th of 34 public high schools	55.9%	3		34.7					1.5		$31,269	$6,662	$24,607
DC Department of Corrections	Public	9-12	1901 D Street SE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	DC Jail Education Program	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(202) 698-4932	41	12	3.4		0 (0.0%)	40 (97.6%)	1 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Eastern High School	Public	9-12	1700 East Capitol St. NE	Washington	20003	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 698-4500	866	78	11.1		21 (2.4%)	779 (90.0%)	53 (6.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.0%)	23.6	28^th of 34 public high schools	17.6%		31.5	19^th of 34 public high schools	44.1%	9		21.2			1.2	1.0	1.0	9.3	$27,913	$4,070	$23,843

Ballou High School

Ballou High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

District of Columbia Public Schools:

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Rank History for Ballou High School

Rank History for all students at Ballou High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Ballou High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ballou High School

Rank History for Female students at Ballou High School

Rank History for At Risk students at Ballou High School

Rank History for Male students at Ballou High School

Rank History for African American students at Ballou High School

Enrollment information for Ballou High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ballou High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Ballou High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ballou High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Ballou High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ballou High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Ballou High School

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